The council's course as far as the record reaches, 2012–2023

THE DOCUMENTED COURSE BEFORE THE CURRENT TERM · THE PRESIDENTS OF 2013–2018 FROM THE STATE AUDIT

Osceola's council enters the reachable record in 2012, in the State's own paper. Two advisory opinions of the Indiana Public Access Counselor preserve the council at work. In the first (12-FC-288, October 29, 2012), the council had voted on September 5, 2012, to terminate the Town Hall custodial position — Council Member Doug Beals moved, Council Member Schrock seconded — and Council President Jim Loney answered for the town alongside the clerk-treasurer; the opinion spells the clerk's first name "Denise" in its body, a variance the clerk's entry below carries whole. In the second (14-FC-88, May 23, 2014), the Public Access Counselor found that the council had acted contrary to the Open Door Law by holding un-noticed "Department Head" meetings before its public meetings; Robert Schrock, by then council president, responded for the town with the clerk-treasurer. The State Board of Accounts' audit of the town (financial statements, January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2017, signed May 29, 2018) prints a Schedule of Officials that carries the presidency in an unbroken dated line: James Loney, January 1, 2013 to November 6, 2013; Robert Schrock, November 7, 2013 to December 31, 2015; Brenda Cruz, January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016; Debra Davis, January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. (The audit spells the first president "James Loney"; the 2012 opinion and the newspapers call him "Jim Loney" — the same man, both forms printed.) In December 2012 this council, under President Loney, also made the decision that defines the fire department's modern course — the dismissal of the volunteer department's four top officers — told whole in the fire entry below. Beyond these paper islands the council's earlier course is dark: no member or president before 2012, and no full membership between 2019 and 2023, was found in the sources reached, and the town's own minute books — the settling source — are not online. The darkness is printed as named gaps in the closing roll (GAP-OSGOV-5 and GAP-OSGOV-6), not filled with inference.

Sources:

1. Indiana Public Access Counselor, Advisory Opinion 12-FC-288 (October 29, 2012) and Advisory Opinion 14-FC-88 (May 23, 2014), in.gov/pac.
2. Indiana State Board of Accounts, Financial Statements Audit Report, Town of Osceola, January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2017 (May 29, 2018), Schedule of Officials, p. 2 — in.gov/sboa, WebReports B50390.
3. South Bend Tribune / WSBT (December 2012), via FireRescue1: the December 2012 fire-officer dismissals under President Loney.